About our Store

New, Used and Out of Print Bookstore

Once located in Downtown El Cajon, I discovered my bookstore, 50,000 Books in the early 70's as a customer. I was looking for a book and calling around from the yellow pages.

The store had what I wanted, so I asked where they were located. The location was two blocks from my house and I was shocked. We had a few used bookstores in El Cajon, but this was one I had never noticed, two blocks from my house. The owners had morphed the store from sun glasses to used books.

I was amazed to find this little gem in Downtown El Cajon, and gradually got to be friendly with the owners, Russ and Ginger Von Hoelscher.

Within a few months I was working part time for the owners. They had some urgent business to take care of, and needed some someone to run the store for a few hours. I was on my own after one hour, and thus began an amazing journey. About a year or two later, I was buying a bookstore.

I called for one book, and ended up buying the store. That still cracks me up.

I no longer special Order New Books Prepaid at Deep Discounts

Although I found that I could easily compete with the chains, from my bricks and mortar, online selling is so competitive that I could no longer justify this service. I do appreciate all the support from my long-time customers and if I did open another store this would be high on my list.

Owning a Bookstore is by nature POLITICAL

However at this time I have nothing to say about that, no rant, nothing, nada, zilch. If you have particular El Cajon info that you would like to see commentary on email me at info@50000books.com

Do your own search experiment

If you made it here you can probably do your own search. Here's a great link

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Who am I?

I've been trying to figure that out for years. But I know that for now I'm in El Cajon.

What happened to 50,000 Books at 116 E. Main St.?

It's a goner. I moved out around four or five years ago, because I thought the corner would be more secure.... Little did I know.
I tried to move back in when I lost the corner building, but the rent was doubled, and I just couldn't come to an agreement with the landlord. It's been empty since. How's that for economic development? I supposed the value has doubled due to those imaginary rent dollars
The downtown management group boasts about how it's redevelopment has increased rents. The landlords buy into it because who wouldn't want a little extra rent. The businesses who actually generate the services to help pay for the redevelopment get a little squeezed, but that's o.k., because there's an unlimited supply of new and unique businesses to drive traffic to the downtown, right? Yet it's been vacant for over three years. It will take about three years at the increased rent, just to make up for the losses, assuming the next tenant survives three years.
It's ironic that now that downtown El Cajon has turned a corner, the rent's went up faster than the business, and I just could not see myself supporting that kind of nonsense.
Support your local downtown, and then watch them rip it right out from under you, after your business helped pay for it. No matter what they say about price cartels, they do work.